By REYNALD MAGALLON
June Mar Fajardo wearing a wide smile and speaking in front of everyone with his deep voice and gentle demeanor while raising yet another trophy, through the years, has already become a norm at every Leo Awards.
And the Season 49 edition was no different.
As if his feats aren’t already beyond reach, June Mar Fajardo put his legendary career to an even higher pedestal after bagging his record-extending ninth PBA Most Valuable Player award on Sunday, Oct. 5 at the Novotel Hotel.
It is Fajardo’s third-straight MVP award after many thought he would no longer be in his dominant and beastly form after his six straight MVP streak was halted by a broken shin back in 2020 .
But just like how he overcame every defender on the post– be it the most wide-bodied local or towering imports – Fajardo simply powered through it and has now won nine of the last 10 such awards.
And as usual, Fajardo was simply head and shoulders above his competitors.
The 6-foot-10 center, for winning two of the available Best Player of the Conference awards, topped the points total – from statistics, player and media votes.
He bested Robert Bolick of NLEX and Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort for the plum.
Joining Fajardo, Bolick and Tolentino in the Mythical Five are TNT’s Calvin Oftana and San Miguel’s CJ Perez.
The Mythical Second team, meanwhile, is composed of Scottie Thompson, RR Pogoy, Zavier Lucero, Japeth Aguilar and Justin Arana.
Barangay Ginebra’s RJ Abarrientos, after helping his team to two Finals appearances last conference, ran away with the Rookie of the Year award besting Caelan Tiongson, Kai Ballungay and Sedrick Barefield.
He is the first King to win the award in 11 years or since Greg Slaughter won it in 2014.
Joshua Munzon was hailed as the Most Improved Player while Gian Mamuyac won the Samboy Lim Sportsmanship Award.
Munzon, Lucero and Fajardo also joined Stephen Holt and Glenn Khobuntin in the All-Defensive team.
